Alabama

Finebaum: Auburn will go 9-3 in the 2010 campaign

View full size(Press-Register Illustration/Brian Lyman; The Battle of Issus by Albrecht Altdorfer; Image and logo via Creative Commons)Paul Finebaum expects Auburn's next campaign to be successful.Last year, nobody knew what to expect. And to the pleasant surprise of most Auburn fans, things worked out quite well.

This time around, enthusiasm is blossoming like the magnolias in early spring and the expectations for Gene Chizik have been ratcheted up a few notches. So, is Auburn ready to get in the mix in the SEC West? After beating Alabama for 58 minutes and putting together a stellar recruiting class, can the Tigers finally break out in 2010? Or will this year be a stepping stone for the future?

For starters, the schedule is very favorable. Auburn's toughest games are all at home -- sans Alabama. So the Tigers have a chance to get out of the gate quickly (remember last year they started 5-0). This is also a team with 24 seniors and a potential rising star at quarterback. With Auburn's A-Day scrimmage Saturday, here's one man's early thoughts on how it might go:

Sept. 4: Arkansas State -- Although State was 4-8 last year, the Red Wolves were competitive at times, narrowly losing at Iowa (24-21) and Troy (30-27). ... Auburn 42-10.

Sept. 9: at Mississippi State -- This game has potential upset written all over it. A Thursday night ESPN prime time game. The State crowd at a fever pitch. Remember that the Bulldogs nearly got Florida at home last year. And they did spank Ole Miss. ... Auburn 27-23.

Sept. 18: Clemson -- This is a very difficult game to figure out. Clemson is coming off a bizarre season with dramatic swings, finally culminating in a 9-5 record and a narrow loss in the ACC title game. ... Auburn 34-28.

Sept. 25: South Carolina -- Auburn could be running on empty here after two very difficult games in a row. However, who really knows what to expect from Steve Spurrier's bunch? The Gamecocks will have already had their early season battle with Georgia at home. So if South Carolina comes in undefeated, this could be a very large game in the SEC. ... Auburn 21-19.

Oct. 2: Louisiana-Monroe -- Clearly, a scrimmage game for Chizik to get some players rested for the stretch run. ... Auburn 41-16.

Oct. 9: at Kentucky -- Can you say trap game? With huge games upcoming, will the Tigers pay any attention to the Wildcats? I think Chizik has this problem figured out. He will simply show his players a tape of last year's UK 21-14 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium. ... Auburn 27-24.

Oct. 16: Arkansas -- Talk about a showdown in the SEC West. Auburn could come in undefeated. Arkansas will likely have one loss and this could be one of the featured games in America. Arkansas has beaten the Tigers two in a row. ... Arkansas 35-31.

Oct. 23: LSU -- This is another team with a streak over Auburn. But this LSU team, at least on paper, remains a mystery. There is plenty of talent, but can Les Miles hold it together with an increasingly frazzled fan base? A victory for LSU would make four in a row over Auburn. ... Auburn 24-20.

Oct. 30: at Ole Miss -- The final game of Murder's Row in October is against a club that Auburn throttled last year at home. Can the Tigers beat the Rebels on the road as well? Ole Miss is not expected to be very good in 2010, which always makes Houston Nutt more dangerous. ... Ole Miss 28-27.

Nov. 13: Georgia -- This is another school with a major beef to settle. Incredibly, Georgia has run off four in a row against Auburn, one of rare bright spots in recent years for Mark Richt. This is another game the Tigers let slip away last year, leading Georgia 14-0 early only to lose late. The breaks finally fall Auburn's way late. ... Auburn 31-27.

Nov. 26: at Alabama -- You think the Tide might overlook Auburn this time around? I doubt it. Expect the Tide to be clicking on all cylinders as they roll over the Tigers for the third year in a row. ... Alabama 31-20.

So the final regular-season record comes to 9-3, a continual progression in Season Two under Chizik. The schedule is interesting because Auburn has a shot at perhaps, doing ever better if everything goes its way. However, there are some dangerous road games against lackluster opponents where the Tigers need to be very careful. Overall, it should be a strong second season for Auburn's new coaching regime.